Elblag, Poland

A new 20,000 sq.m shopping centre in the city of Elblag in northern Poland.

The brief / As part of the locally driven regeneration initiative, the Polish real estate arm of Royal Ahold was encouraged to invest in a new 20,000 sq.m. shopping centre, giving a new 'town centre' to the northern area of the city.

The context / The old Hansa town of Elblag, 80 km East of Gdansk was razed to the ground during the last days of the Second World War, leaving few original inhabitants of the city. It was subsequently repopulated with Polish people from elsewhere in the country, but has been a victim of high levels of unemployment and social exclusion. In recent years, much of the old town has been reconstructed, inward investment has been encouraged and the population has risen to c.130,000.

What we did / The Greig & Stephenson designed centre has an Ahold Hypernova hypermarket as its anchor, as well as a 200 seater food court, large format electrical retailer, discount shoe superstore, a large home and carpet shop, and about 35 smaller shops.

Greig & Stephenson was responsible for the whole concept, from masterplanning to architectural design, detailing, finishes, branding and signage.

Impact / Since it opened in 2002 the centre has acted as a catalyst for the local economy.